Manufacture of fibrous caps for bottles and other containers.



I No Drawing.

FCE.

. ALBERT WESTLAKE AND PAUL POETSCHKE, OF YORK,'1\T. Y. SAID POETSCHKE ASSIGNOR T0 SAID WESTLAKE.

MANUFACTURE OF FIBROUS CAPS FOR BOTTLES AND OTHER CONTAINERS.

and PAUL POETSCHKE, both citizens of the United States, and residents of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of which, by its nature, cannot discolor or present a cutting edge and which .will be sufiiciently durable for purposes of transportation, delivery and temporary storage, can be easily destroyed after use, or after removal from bottle or container, can be temporarily replaced to preserve the remainder of the bottle or container contents, a feature vitally necessary to the protection of the contents of the container from extraneous contamination during temporary storage and use of the contents.

The object of our invention is to impart certain characteristics to such fibrous material which will render it more sanitary, cleanly, less absorbent, and sufliciently resistant to the liquids, or other food products contained in the bottle, jar or container, not affecting them in a deleterious manner as regards appearance, odor, or Wholesomeness, and which is adapted, when properly applied, to make a more perfect fabrication of the material, comprising the cap or seal,

thereby providing closer contact with the bottle, jar or other container than has heretofore been the case with non-metallic contrivances, thereby producing apractically air-tight and effective seal or cl osure.

Our invention is more particularly designed for sealing glass or porcelain bottles or containers, used for milk or drinking water, for daily distribution and consump tion, which articles being especially liable to contamination in transit or handling, and of vital importance to the health of the community, are required to be protected by eiiicient sanitary measures. This improved fiber cap or sanative seal may be used for Specification of Letters Patent.

Fibrous Caps for Bottles and other Containers, of which Patented Nov. 16, 1.915.

Application tiled December 12, 1913. Serial No. 806,307.

various other liquids, pickles, preserves, jellies, foods, drugs or medicines that require cheap and effective and hygienic sealing.

'We have found that ordinary fiber paper cannot be shaped over the mouth of a bottle or container and made to hold a definite position or shape without mechanical-means of retention. Ordinary paper; is either tough or stifl", has surface imperfections and springs away after being mechanically shaped, even when applied with the aid of heat or moisture, adaptation to the various forms or construction of the mouth container. We have found this to be the case even after dipping the paper or fibrous material in melted paraffin, or other waxy or gummy substances, or by supplying an inner seal of wax paper, paraflin, or similar preparations. lVe have therefore devised the hereinafter described process which results in a fibrous material having sufiicient plasticity and flowing or molding properties under the application of heat, combined with the property of setting rigidly and promptly upon cooling to ordinary temperatures; thus insuring an absolute contact with the container to which it is applied and adapting itself to all interstices of the bottle or other container, yielding a cap or closure or seal which, when thus applied, is impervious to moisture, is non-absorbent, insoluble in water or other liquids usually contained in the bottle to which it is applied, and will maintain its sealing qualities and guard the contents against exposure or contamination. It is also suffi ciently strong, tenacious and durable to resist dlsplacement, or tearing during transit or handling, also to resist thermal changes, such as extreme cold and heat of Winter and summer, or' exposure to direct rays of the sun. To accomplish these results,we begin with a suitable fiber of vegetable or animal origin,for instance, cellular pulp prepared by chemical or mechanical means from such fibers. This pulp, before it is converted into sheets suitable for the purpose, is, preferably, treated while in this state by any of the methods that will allow the sheet, irrespective of thickness, to remain in a soft and pliable condition, similar to filter or blotting paper. This pulp may also be treated with the various sizing or of the bottle or other water-proofing agents, applied in the paper lndustry to insure resistance to water, provided all soluble deleterious substances are v resins, with or without mineral fillers, may 7 also be applied by pulverizing eliminated so that they do not enter the finished paper. 7

in order further to promote softnessin the finished fibrous material, an emulsion prepared from certain aliphatic resins or mixtures of aliphatic resins with conifer resins, or their equivalents, with a solution of a base, such as sodium hydroxid, or its equivalent, may be incorporated with the pulp, the mass being subsequently treated with alum or other suit-.

For example, the

able precipitating agent.

following emulsion may be used:-

Water 78'. 5% Colophony 10.. 0% Shellac 10. 0% Sodium carbonate 1.5%

Excessive hot calen dering and undue pressure is avoided in forming the sheets or and, if desired,

strips in order to bring out a material of loosely-felted fibers, further fabrication or condensation of this paper being reserved for its heating and-shaping process on the bottle, ar or other container.

This fiber, when made of selected widths, according 'to the demand for resistance of the bottle contents, is passed over rolls in a continuous manner, and thereby coated or impregnated, separate layers may be to produce the desired united thereby so as The coating material is ply and thickness.

I preferably composed of certain aliphatic and conifer resins or their equivalents, either alone or in admixture. These substances may also be mixed with certain harmless mineral fillers, such as silica or calcium sulfate. F o example, the following combinatlon may be used zlVhite turpentine resin 25 Colophony 15 Shellac 25% Calcium sulfateflr 35% such as ethyl alcohol or various solvents may be incorporated therewith so'as to obtain the proper consistby treatment tinuous with the coating process;

standard inches in diameter.

thorou hl innocuous sanitar moderate heat is apture. l

The mixture of alipa'thic' and conifer the mass and sifting this onto the paper, previously warmed by passing over heated rolls, or after previously moistening the paper with a suitable solvent. The coated paper is then printed and stamped out into round disks of suitablesize, the operation being :conr nstance, for the size of the so-called quart or pint milk bottle of the present-date, thedisk should be three and threequarter The result of this process is a fibrous disk of the required thickness, which is practically insoluble in water,

r rigid, and tenacious at normal temperatures,

and capa" ble' of becoming plastic and moldableat elevated temperatures.

By the'abov described treatmentwe have succeeded in preparing a fibrous material which, when used for caps and other seals or closures for bottles, jars, and other containers, possesses those hygienic and commercial qualities which have been found necessary and advantageous.

We claim: v a 1. Process of manufacturing fibrous caps for bottles and other containers which comprises the treating of fibrousmaterial when in a soft and pliable condition with an emulsion prepared from aliphatic resins by treatment with sodium hydroxid or equivalent base and subsequently treating the mass with alum or equivalent precipitating agent.

2. A fibrous cap for bottles and other containers which is composed of fibrous ma terial which has been rendered practically insoluble in water, innocuous, sanitary, rigid and tenacious at normal temperatures and capable of becoming plastic and moldable at elevated temperatures by the incorporation therewith while in a soft and pliable condition, of resinous substances, a sodium base and a precipitating agent substantially as described.

' ALBERT WESTLAKE.

PAUL POETSUHKE. Witnesses:

LILLIAN MAoKREr-roRs'r, W. P. PREBLE. 

